𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙐𝙕𝙐𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙄 𝙁𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙔

Part 2

That same night, Sarada dragged herself home after an exhausting day at the Hokage office. Her muscles ached, and the headache from earlier had only gotten worse. All she wanted was to collapse into bed, but as soon as she stepped through the door, she was greeted by Hinata’s soft voice calling her from the dining room.

“Dinner’s ready, Sarada! Come join us.”

Sarada winced, her exhaustion evident. “I’m not hungry, Mom. I think I’ll just head to bed.”

But Hinata wasn’t having it. “Oh no, Sarada. You’ve been working too hard, and skipping meals isn’t an option. You need your strength.”

Reluctantly, Sarada agreed. “Just a little, then.”

As she sat down at the table with the Uzumaki family, she tried to hide her fatigue. Boruto was already grinning mischievously across the table, exchanging playful glances with Himawari. Sarada noticed but was too tired to decipher what they were planning.

Once everyone began eating, Sarada cautiously took her first bite. Instantly, her eyes widened as her throat and mouth ignited with a heat so intense she could barely breathe. She started coughing violently, clutching her throat as she struggled to swallow.

Boruto and Himawari burst into laughter. “We might’ve gone a bit overboard with the spice!” Boruto choked out between laughs. Himawari was laughing so hard that she could barely speak.

Naruto and Hinata looked horrified as Sarada continued to cough uncontrollably, her face turning red. “What happened?!” Naruto exclaimed, completely clueless about the prank.

“Boruto! Himawari! What did you do?” Hinata demanded, rushing to Sarada’s side and offering her some water.

“She can’t handle spice, so we thought it’d be funny to add a little extra,” Himawari admitted, still giggling.

“A little extra? You’ve practically poisoned her!” Naruto shouted, glaring at his children.

Hinata patted Sarada’s back gently, trying to help her calm down. “Here, Sarada, drink this.”

But Sarada could barely take a sip. Her coughing was relentless, and suddenly, a terrifying sound echoed through the room as she coughed up blood, staining her hand and the table.

The room fell silent.

“Sarada!” Boruto yelled, his eyes widening in panic.

Her head spun as her body shuddered with more violent coughs. Blood continued to spill from her mouth, and the burning in her throat felt unbearable. She tried to wipe the blood away, but her hand trembled too much. Her vision blurred as the room around her swayed, and she felt herself losing control of her body.

“I’m—” Sarada tried to speak, but her voice was barely a whisper. Her throat was on fire, and the blood, now dripping steadily from the corner of her mouth, terrified everyone in the room.

Naruto jumped from his seat, panic setting in. “We need to get her help. Now!”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Sarada tried to insist, her voice weak and broken. Despite the blood and the unbearable pain, she forced a small smile at Boruto and Himawari, not wanting them to feel guilty. “It was just a prank… it’s okay…”

But Boruto wasn’t smiling anymore. His face was pale with fear, and the laughter that once filled the room had vanished entirely. “What have we done…” he muttered under his breath, quickly kneeling next to her, his heart racing. “Love, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean— I didn’t know this would happen…”

Sarada tried to shake her head, but the spinning made it worse. Her body was weakening fast. She couldn’t stop the blood from spilling from her mouth, and her breaths became shallower. She clutched Boruto’s hand as if it were the only thing keeping her anchored.

“Mom, call the hospital!” Boruto shouted, his voice full of panic. He looked up at his mother, who was already fumbling with her phone, her hands shaking.

Hinata’s voice trembled as she tried to make the call, but the sound of Sarada’s continuous coughing and the sight of the blood on the table made her panic. “Sarada, just breathe… please…” she whispered, rushing to hold Sarada upright.

Naruto paced the room, helpless and panicked, his hands running through his hair. “How did it get this bad?”

Boruto wiped the blood from Sarada’s mouth, his eyes full of regret. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t know. I didn’t think…”

Despite everything, Sarada forced another small, painful smile. “You… you two really went… a little overboard this time,” she whispered, trying to make light of the situation.

“Stop trying to joke!” Boruto scolded, his voice cracking. His eyes filled with tears as he watched her struggle. “You’re coughing up blood, Sarada! This is serious!”

Finally, the room fell into an anxious silence as Hinata finished the call. “They’re on their way,” she said softly, still holding Sarada close.

Sarada’s breathing was uneven, and the blood that had dripped from her mouth showed no sign of stopping. Even then, she tried her best to stay calm for her family, her vision fading as she leaned against Boruto.

“I’m sorry…” Himawari whispered, her voice breaking as she realized how serious the situation was. “We didn’t mean for this to happen…”

Boruto looked up at his sister, his expression full of guilt. “We’ll fix this. I promise.” He held Sarada’s hand tighter, his heart breaking as she grew weaker in his arms.

Sarada coughed again, wincing as more blood spilled from her lips. She blinked slowly, trying to stay conscious, her voice barely audible. “Boruto… don’t worry... I’ll be fine…”

But Boruto shook his head, his voice trembling. “You’re not fine, love. I’m going to make sure you’re okay.”

The minutes stretched into eternity as they waited for help to arrive, Boruto never leaving Sarada’s side, his guilt and worry consuming him as her breathing became more labored.